Rising gas prices have more people across the nation opting for fuel-efficient, two-wheeled forms of transportation, making motorcycles and scooters more common on roadways. The increased ridership also has brought dangers, evidenced by the recent spate of fatal motorcycle accidents in Connecticut. The Fourth of July weekend was particularly deadly, with at least five people killed in motorcycle accidents. Two people were killed July 4 on Interstate 91 in Rocky Hill. A Thompson man and his passenger also were killed in a July 4 accident in Putnam. One man was killed and his passenger severely injured in Norwich July 5, when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver. “We have seen more motorcycle crashes,” said Gillian Mosier, trauma program manager at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich. The most common injuries suffered in accidents, Mosier said, are broken bones on extremities and road rash. “Eighty percent of the time it’s probably not their fault,” Mosier said of motorcyclists. “At least with car crashes, there’s metal to protect them.” State Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick said there’s no doubt ridership has increased dramatically in recent years. At the same time, he said, statistics show riders actually are safer than they have ever been. “Overall, we’re trending downward,” Nursick said. The number of motorcycle registrations has increased from 53,521 in 1999 to 89,100 in 2007, Department o ...
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Rising gas prices have more people across the nation opting for fuel-efficient, two-wheeled forms of transportation, making motorcycles and scooters more common on roadways. The increased ridership also has brought dangers, evidenced by the recent spate of fatal motorcycle accidents in Connecticut. The Fourth of July weekend was particularly deadly, with at least five people killed in motorcycle accidents. Two people were killed July 4 on Interstate 91 in Rocky Hill. A Thompson man and his passenger also were killed in a July 4 accident in Putnam. One man was killed and his passenger severely injured in Norwich July 5, when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver. “We have seen more motorcycle crashes,” said Gillian Mosier, trauma program manager at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich. The most common injuries suffered in accidents, Mosier said, are broken bones on extremities and road rash. “Eighty percent of the time it’s probably not their fault,” Mosier said of motorcyclists. “At least with car crashes, there’s metal to protect them.” State Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick said there’s no doubt ridership has increased dramatically in recent years. At the same time, he said, statistics show riders actually are safer than they have ever been. “Overall, we’re trending downward,” Nursick said. The number of motorcycle registrations has increased from 53,521 in 1999 to 89,100 in 2007, Department o ...